Destined?
by Mr. Reckless
Summary: When the Drakes recieve a box holding the Drake Chronicles and a note, they decide to read them together. It's set a year before Hearts at Stake/MLLB. For Mrs Lucky Drake. R&R because I'll send you a pony because I am nice *CHAPTER 4 UP!*
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Okay, this is for Mrs lucky drake, who told me to write this! X I love ya! xxX I originally wrote this on a computer that i have had recently crash, and I wrote it a couple of months back, before I even had heard of Fanfiction! I also lost My Love lies bleeding in Nicholas' POV, too. **** Oh, well- I'm just gonna wing it and rewrite it! Oh, and BTW my laptop's keyboard is going haywire, so it will have a few mistakes X**

**This chapter's for you, Mrs Lucky Drake! X**

Third person

Lucky Hamilton was staying at her best friend's, Solange Drake, house on a Saturday night. The date was December, 2009, and the Drakes were doing what they usually did. They thought that it was going to be just a normal day; little did they know that they were _so wrong. _Something was going to happen that was going to change their entire life courses. A box would appear, and . . . well, here. I'll tell you the story from one of the star's point of view. Enjoy!

Lucy POV

I was in Solange's room, chatting to her and gossiping about the new geeky kid in my grade, when Logan, her older brother, yelled up to us, "Sol, you have another gift from your stalkers!"

I rolled my eyes.

This had been going on for years! She had gotten pretty sick of it by now, but I still lived to find out what new thing Montmartre had made his _Hell-Blar_ send to her. Last time it was a dozen roses and a beautiful golden, diamond necklace with a large ruby in the centre. I had to admit; it was amazing, but he still had no right!

She yelled back, almost immediately, "Ugh, what is it, now?"

"Come see yourself; 'S not my stalker!" For the second time that day, I rolled my eyes.

I pulled her up, off of her bed and towed her down the Drake's staircase. "C'mon."

When we reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw an elegantly wrapped large box sitting on the main table.

_Hmmm . . . bigger than normal, _I thought. I wondered what was in it that took up so much space.

I reached out for it, but Logan slapped my hand away.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"_Don't_ open it. I'll do it," he said.

_First he says that we have to open it, then he won't let me open it!_

I sighed, blowing my brown fringe up in the air, and crossed my arms over my chest. He used his fingernail to slice down the middle of it and flipped the lids of it open. I peered in, as the frown on his face didn't satisfy me.

It was six books and a note.

Strange.

"Why would Montmartre send you . . . _books?_ " I asked Solange. She shrugged in response. I looked at Logan for an answer.

"Beats me. What are they?" I picked one up, to reveal a picture of Solange on the one underneath.

"What the hell?" I yelled to them. I flipped it over and read over the blurb. "Ohmygod. It mentions you, me and Nicholas, full names." Logan picked another one up, but one with a picture of _him _on it, but with some random black haired chick. There was another one in the corner of the box, but with Quinn, another one of Sol's seven brothers, on the cover, but with a blonde haired chick on, instead of the black hair.

"I am so confused," I admitted.

"Maybe we should go and get Mom and Dad," Solange suggested, her eyes never moving from the blurb that she was reading from the back of- I looked at the front cover- Out For Blood.

"You think so?' Logan muttered, before speeding off to go and find Liam and Helena, Solange's _badass parents._

You may have already guessed, you may have not; Solange's parents are vampires, and so are her brothers. She is going to be one soon, in about a year, because of the Bloodchange. I, however, am not a vamp, or, a going-to-be vamp. I'm just plain old Lucky Hamilton the human (unfortunate name, I know), my parents are like hippies, basically. They go to weird gatherings, and force me to go with them and `cleanse my soul from any anger`. I'll admit, I do have a lot of anger in my system, but that was only because of Nicholas Drake, Solange's most annoying brother- who, by the way, was walking through the door right at that moment.

"Lucky," he muttered, stalking into the room as he threw his keys on the door table. He stood still next to it. Nicholas was the only one who was allowed to call me that, other than my parents. Well- not really allowed, just . . . we had a complicated relationship. He said it to annoy me basically, and I called him Nicky in return. Just like now.

"Nicky," I seethed, completely forgetting about the books. We just glared at each other, until Logan rushed in with Helena and Liam.

"Here, he said, pointing to the box. "Here are the books about us."

**Hoped you liked it! Virtual lemon drizzle cake that my friends made in Tech. today for reviewers! X**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Guess what? I found the first two chapters that I wrote out ages ago in a random notebook! Anyway, the not-a-real-word in the little blurby thingy is supposed to say **_**receive a, **_**but my stupid keyboard is acting up again. Thanks for the reviews,**

**SecretNighfall,**

**xShadowKissedAngelx,**

**TwilightGleek,**

**Mrs Lucky Drake,**

**And Ehlana(sorry, hunn, but FF won't let me write your name!) X :DD**

**On with the show . . . **

"_Here are the books about us."_

Helena walked over to the box, looking quite cautious, considering that it was just _a box._ Although, the things inside of the box could possibly expose the Drakes to any possible reader.

How nice that would be.

Quinn and Connor, the twins, walked in and over to their Mom. They peered over the side of Helena's shoulder at the blurb she was reading. It was the one with Quinn on the front. She narrowed her eyes at what she saw, and Quinn looked actually quite honestly surprised.

"I'm . . . My name's on the back of that book," he said, eyes widening. She flipped it over to show him the front. I swear that his eyes fell out of the sockets that held them.

"And . . . I'm on the front."

Connor grabbed Hearts at Stake and skimmed through the pages, as Nicholas read over My Love Lies Bleeding's back

"No way," Connor suddenly gasped, and then started to laugh uncontrollably.

"What?" Solange asked; she seemed quite scared. It made sense. I'd be freaked out, too, if my face was on the front cover of a book named Hearts at Stake if I was going to be a vampire when I turned sixteen.

Didn't she live life _the real way_?

"You two,' he laughed and pointed to Nicholas and me, "kiss!"

I couldn't have been more horrified in my entire life.

"What?" Me and Nicholas asked sharply.

"No, no, no, no, no," I yelled into thin air, grabbing the book off of Connor, and scratching him in the process. He yelped; it would have been funny if I had just found out that . . . Never mind. I read the blurb again, but full this time. I read it aloud.

"_`They're close,` she murmured. `Watching.`_

_`Run, ` I suggested. `Like right now? `_

_She shook her head. `If we act like prey, they act like predators.`_

_Solange has always known that she is a vampire, and as the only female vampire born, not initiated, she is surrounded by danger on all sides- from other vampire tribes who want to take her blood into their lineage, and the bounty hunters who are set on destroying her and her family. _Nice to know. _When she is- _What, now?"

"What?" Quinn asked me when I stopped reading.

"_When she is kidnapped, it is up to her elder brother Nicholas and best friend Lucy to save her. But can Lucy save herself from Nicholas who tempts her with his every look- what will be her fate if she surrenders her heart to a vampire?" _I stopped reading and looked at Solange, who was laughing so much that she was beginning to crumple to the ground. By the looks of her brothers (excluding Nicholas, who was staring at me) , they were about to join her.

And then I passed out.

Solange POV 

Lucy fainted, and almost fell to the floor, where I was l was lying, still laughing. She would have fallen on top of Quinn, if Marcus hadn't of walked in and caught her.

'Shouldn't that be Nicholas doing that?" Quinn laughed. I giggled, holding my ribs; they were starting to hurt, now.

"What are you guys laughing about?" Marcus asked us.

"Nicholas . . . kissed Lucy!" Connor laughed. My brother dropped Lucy.

'What? And I_ missed_ it!" he yelled. By now, Nicholas' face was _red._

"NO, in the . . .book," I finally got out.

"What book?" Marcus looked confused.

"That one," I said, still giggling underneath my breath, I pointed to the book that was now accompanied by me, Quinn and Connor on the floor. He picked it up and read the last few pages.

"_And I'd actually caught Nicholas sending roses to Lucy's house. And they were on the phone to each other all the time?" _It was a question. He laughed just as hard as us.

Even my _Mom_ was laughing, and Dad had the faintest smile on his lips. God.

The rest of my brothers walked into the room, wandering what was going on that was making us giggle and laugh. We told them, and they grabbed a book each. Dad took the note from inside of the box and read over it.

"Well it doesn't say who it's from. I just says that Veronique and some boy named Kieran Black have received copies, too. It also mentions that this is our futures . . ." he trailed off; never a good sign.

Right.

Because Lucy and Nicholas, the famous fighters would kiss! Ha!

He did act weird around her, and not just the obnoxious fighting and arguing over simple things . . . I shivered at the thought and shook it out of my head.

Nicholas POV

What? No one could find out about my childish crush on Lucy! My life would become a living hell if it got around! I was just hoping that I didn't tell her about it in the book ...

Oh, who was I kidding? We _kissed! AND_ I sent her flowers! Jeez.

"Nicky, you have a lot to explain," said Quinn, who was flicking through pages of the damned book.

'Nicholas, Nicholas," my bother Connor joined in. He sounded like a disappointed parent. "What _has_ gone on, this last decade? Love, perhaps?"

"Shut up, man," I growled low in my throat, which only caused them to laugh even more. "Who knew a damn book could ruin your life?" I muttered under my breath.

"Oh, your life's not ruined," Logan assured me. He was no w officially my favourite brother. "Yet." Right_, favourite brother role, up for grabs! You don't actually have to be my brother!_

"WE are going to make you kiss Dizzy over there," threatened Quinn. _NO._

"And I'll help," Solange suggested. _Favourite sister, also available! "_I'll make Lucy kiss him! No. Matter. What."

"Joy," I said, before running for my life.

**Hope I got Solange and Nicholas' POVs right!**

**Favourite line? R&R!**


	3. Prologue

**AN You have no idea how long it took me to write this chapter! Here's a belated Christmas present!**

Finally, they read!

_**Abc = **__**The Book : )**_

Abc = Me! Or Lucy or whatever . . .

Lucy POV

When I woke up, I was on the floor of the drake's lounge. Sol was peering down at me, and so was Quinn.

"Come on, Luce," Sol said to me. She pulled me up and pushed me into a chair "We're going to read them!"

"Who's first?" Logan asked.

"Lucy!" my best friend said excitedly. I shook my head.

"No, Quinn can; he seems more excited than me."

"Which one's first?" he asked.

"This one," Logan said, shoving a book at him. "Go."

"_**Prologue**_**,"** Quinn began, sitting down and relaxing into a chair. **"**_**Lucy. Friday, early evening.**_

_Normally, I wouldn't have been caught dead at a field party._

_**If you'll pardon the pun.**_

_**This was a supreme sacrifice on part of my best friend, Solange, who was having a really bad day, which was about to turn into a really bad week. Her sixteenth birthday was coming up, and we weren't talking a new car and a pink dress for her sweet sixteen.**_

_**Not in her family."**_

"Definitely not," Nicholas muttered from his place on the chair furthest away from me. I couldn't help but feel a **little **hurt, could I?

"Anyway," Quinn said. _**"This wasn't much better though.**_

_**She was standing in the middle of a field, trying to drink cheap wine," **_**that earned a few glares from Helena, **_**"and pretend that she didn't want to be anywhere but here. The music was passable but that was about all it had to recommend about it. The cars were parked in a wide circle, the sun setting behind the trees with all the colours of a blood orange pulled to pieces. Practically my entire high school was here; there wasn't much else to do on one of the last weekends before school started. People danced and flirted,"**_** another glare from Helena,**_** "in a sea of baseball caps and faded denim. Someone burped loudly.**_

"_**This was such a bad idea," I muttered.**_

_**Solange smiled softly, abandoning her plastic cup on the hood of someone's rusty old truck.**_

"_**It was a nice thought."**_

"_**It was stupid," I admitted. She'd just looked so sad, lately."**_

"Aw," Solange interrupted. "You're being surprisingly sweet."

"Yeah, yeah. Read."

"_**I'd hoped a complete change of pace might distract her from all that worrying. Instead it made me want to bare my pitifully human teeth at the rowdies."**_Almost everybody in the room chuckled.

"That would be so funny!" Sol laughed. "Do it!"

"later," I promised. "Read on," I told Quinn, curling my legs up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. He obeyed.

"_**Someone's shoe nudged my heel, and when I turned to look back at it, I was greeted with way too much information about the mating habits of my fellow students."**_And, _ding ding ding_ we have a winner. Helena looked as though she would kill the next thing she saw, so I quickly hid behind my knees.

"Read," I begged my best friend's most egoistic brother. **(AN: Ha, Ehlana! Hahaha!) **

"_**I kicked hard at the boot.**_

" _**No one needs to see that," I said, turning away quickly before more clothing could come couple giggled and went deeper into the corn. I stared at Solange. "What the hell was i thinking?"**_

_**She half grinned at me.**_

"_**It is rather unlike you."**_

_**Darren, from my Math class last year, tripped over his own feet and sprawled in the dirt in front of us before I could answer. His grin was sloppy. He was nice enough, usually; in fact, he was the entire reason I hadn't flunked out of Math."**_

"he asked me out, the other day," I added in.

"_**He was drunk and desperate to fit in.**_

"_**Hi, Lucy." Apparently beer made him lisp. My name came out sounding as 'Loothee'- which was marginally better than my real name, which was Lucky. I had those kind of parents, but I made everyone at school call me Lucy since the first day of first grade.**_

"_**Hi, Darren."**_

_**He blinked at Solange. Even in jeans and a tank top looked dramatic."**_

Quinn stopped to raise an eye brow at me, so did Solange.

"_Dramatic?" _she asked me. "Not really sure how to respond to that."

Her brother continued, **"**_**It was all that pale skin and pale eyes. Her black bangs were choppy because she trimmed them herself. The rest was long and hung past her shoulders. Mine was plain cat shaped. I didn't need them to see the way Darren was drooling over Solange. All guys drooled over her.**_

_**She was beautiful, end of discussion.**_

"_**Who's your friend? She's hot."**_

Solange sighed. She was so used to that, now.

"_**You've met her before." Solange was homeschooled, but I dragged her around when I could. "Sober up, Darren. This isn't a good look for you."**_

"'_**Kay." He spat grass out of his mouth.**_

_**I slung my arm through hers. "Let's get out of here. The sun's starting to set, anyway, and maybe we can salvage the rest of the night."**_

And here come the trouble. There always was, always will.

"_**The wind was soft through the corn, rustling the stalks as we wandered away. The stars were starting to peek out, like animal eyes in the dark. We could still see the music and the occasional shout of laughter. Twilight was starting to settle like a soft blue veil. We'd walked from my house, which was a half hour away. We'd probably waited too long. We picked up our pace.**_

_**And then Solange paused."**_

And there it is.

"_**What?" I froze beside her, my shoulders tensing until I was practically wearing them as earmuffs. I was all too aware of what could be out there .I should never have suggested this. I'd just put her in more danger. I was an idiot."**_

And queue the Nicholas.

"Never?" he asked me sarcastically. I took in a deep breath.

"Be quiet."

"No," he argued.

"Yes," I responded almost automatically. We started arguing with very snappy comebacks and carried on to this for the next two minutes, at least, until Solange said something quietly.

"Only people who care enough to argue argue."

"What?" I asked her.

"Only the people who care enough to argue argue," she repeated. "If you argue so much, it shows that you care, if you get me."

To say that I was confused would be an understatement.

"Anyway," Helena said. "Quinn, read," she ordered him.

"S**he held up her hand, her eyes so pale that they were nearly colourless, a ring of ice around a black lake. Because I was scared, I scowled into the bushes. Mom said that bravado was a karmic debt that I needed to work on. Basically she was saying that I'd been mouthy and obnoxious my whole life. I didn't somehow think that this particular situation called for a round of **_**oms, **_**which was my Mom's favourite way of cleansing karmic baggage. Most babies got sung lullabies; I got 'Om Namah Shivaya' when I was really fussy."**

"When is she not?" Nicholas asked under his breath. I ignored him and Quinn read the goddamned book again.

""**Cops?" I suggested, mostly because it seemed the better alternative. "They always break up these parties."**

**She shook her head. She looked delicate and ethereal, as if she were made of lily petals." Q**uinn stopped once again to look at me in a strange way.

"i'm like lily petals?" Solange asked me.

"I don't know . . ." I admitted. Quinn shook his headed and laughed under his breath.

"**Few people knew the marble that soft concealed.**

"**They're close," she murmured. "Watching."**

"**Run?" I suggested. "Like right now?"**

**She shook her head again, but we did at least start walking.**

"**If we act like prey, they'll act like predators."**

**I tried not to hyperventilate, tried to walk quickly but confidently, as if weren't being stalked. Sometimes I really hated Solange's life. It was totally unfair."**

"I know," Sol interjected. "And I hate it, too."

"But you don't hate your brothers, do ya'?" Logan said, trying to lighten the depression. I played with my silver Links of London bracelet that Julian had given me the other day.**(I have this bracelet! It's really pretty and I got it for Christmas, but you don't care . . .) **She smiled and laughed lighly.

"Sure. Let's go with that idea, shall we?"

"**You're getting angry," she said softly.**

"**Damn right I am. These undead bastards think that they can do this to you just because-"**

"**When you're angry your heart beats faster. Its like the cherry on a hot fudge Sundae."**

"Which is funny, because I don't like cherries on fdge sundaes . . . " I said, thoughtful.

"_How _is that funny?" Nicholas asked, his voice on the verge of a petulent tone.

"Because it just is," I argued. I blew out an angry sigh. I could feel my heart beating, quicker and stronger than per usual. Wow, she was right; My heartbeat does get quicker when I'm mad. God help the Drakes; I get mad _alot. _And I mean _alot._

"**Oh. Right," **Quinn said lodly, obiously trying to stop the argument that was just _waiting _to happen between Nichlolas and I. **"I always gorgot that little detail. Maybe my Mom was right. I neede to start up meditating.**

"**Lucy, I want you to run."**

"Ughh," the Drake family all chorused.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"Here you go," Marcus said.

" And so it beginns," Connor added. The boys were all nodded their heads in agreement. I grinned wildl at them, and they shook their heads, all smiling lightly. They all knew me so well.

Quinn took a breath and started to read again. **"Shut up," I said, disbelief making my voice squeaky.**

"**They'll follow me if I run in the opposite direction." **

All of her brothers family and I stared at her.

"That is the worst plan I've ever heard," I said in a low voice. "You idiot."

"Hey!" Solange said, suddenly very defensive of her stupid plan.

"_Why _would you say that?" Helena said, menacingly. She sounded _very _mad, but i knew that she'd never hurt her own daughter. "_It's basically sacrifice!" _Okay, so at this moment, it . . . was a possibility. She was yelling, now. Helena, who was definitely the scariest vampire in the world, was standing in the center of the room, on the verge of kicking the ancient coffee table next to her. I held my breath for my best friend.

"Calm down, dear," Liam said, putting an attemptedly calming hand on his wife's arm. I blinked. Where had he come from? One second he was in his chair, the next he's standing next to Helena . . .

Eh. Vampire speed; I'd never understand it.

"Just read the book, son," Liam said in his lets-do-business-voice. Quinn continued reading with a small gulp.

"**That's the worst plan I've ever heard," I grumbled, fighting the urge to look over my shoulder. Stupid creepy cornfields. Stupid creepy stalkers. A cricket sang from the tall corn and my heart nearly shot out straight from my chest. I actually pressed my hand against my ribcage, half-worried. The cricket went quiet and was replaced by the rumble of car tires on ground. Corn stalks snapped. A familiar Jeep skidded to a dusty halt in front of us."**

I, being me, had to interrupt. My inner-Mom automatically channelled itself, and I had to say the stupidest thing I could possibly say.

"_Nicholas Drake, did you just kill a cricket?" _I yelled. Almost everybody laughed at me.

"Okay, Lucy," Solange laughed. "Your Mom is totally starting to rub off on you." She stopped laughing for a second. "Okay, _you're _starting to rub off on me. I just said . . . Totally. My God, I'm spending _way _too much time with you."

"I see no reason to not say 'totally'," I exclaimed, causing everyone to start laughing, once again.

"**Nicholas," Solange breathed, relieved.**

"**Get in," he snapped.**

**I was slightly less enamoured with her older brother-"**

"I'll say," Duncan said.

"Or, so you are _now," _Quinn stated._ "_You'll be armoured with him by the end of the book. It's a simple fact."

"Oh, shut up," I grumbled.

"_Like_ I'd ever like her," Nicholas poked his head in my direction.

"_Like _I'd ever care," I mocked him.

"Both of you, just shut up," Logan said, stopping us from arguing further. "Carry on reading, bro."

"**-but I had to admit he had good timing. In his black shirt and dark hair, he blended into the night. Only his eyes gave him away, silver and fierce. He was gorgeous- **Ha! I _told you! I told you!" _Quinn grinned, totally smug_. "Gorgeous, right there!" _Now, all of the Drakes were grinning, by now, and I _**hated **_it.

I blew out another angry sigh and told him to carry on reading. I didn't even look to see what Nicholas' reaction was like. I shuddered at the thought.

"**-there was no use in denying it, but he always knew just how to make me want to poke him in the eye with a fork." **People laughed.

"**Like right now.**

"**Drive," he said to their brother Logan, who was behind the steering wheel." **My eye widened in anger, and I sat up in my chair. I stared at Nicholas. He wouldn't. Logan held his breath, knowing what I could do. So was pretty much the whole family.

"**He didn't even wait for me to get in. Logan lifted his foot off the brake. The car rolled forwards.**

"**Hey!" I shouted."**

Nicholas was cowering into a cushion.

"**Nicholas Drake, you let her in this car right now." Solange leaned forward between the front seats.**

"**She's fine. We have to get you out of here."**

Helena was silent, and she was a million times as bad as me with violence. She couldn't control herself, and neither could I. Maybe if I just . . . slip . . . ?All I can say for Nicky was God help him. You know what? Don't help him. He's a vampire; he can survive.

But hopefully not.

"**I grabbed on to the half open window. Logan slowed down.**

"**Sorry, Lucy. I thought that you were in already."**

I smirked, Logan let out his breath.

"Can't get rid of me _that _easily. Now, he's nice," I said, jerking my head towards his brother. "He actually _let's _me get in the damned car.

"**Don't you **_**read?" **_**I asked Nicholas, disgusted. **Ironic, isn't it? We're actually reading this." Quinn smiled manically. Helena was still glaring at Nicholas. It was nice to know that she cared about me just as much as her children. **"If you leave me here now that you've got Solange all safe, they'll grab me to get her."**

**Solange opened the door and I leapt in. The car sped off. Shadows flitted beside us, menacing, hungry. I shivered. Then I smacked the back of Nicholas' head.**

"**Idiot."**

And that's the end of the prologue."

Bring on the Helena.

"You were _going to __**leave **__Lucy?" _she half-screamed, outraged** . **Then she went into a big rant. I smiled, thinking of all possible ways that she could kill him.

She could stake him.

She could break his neck.

She could skewer him with a crossbow.

I could go on forever.

Nicholas was speechless. And he was scared of _me. _

"So," Quinn said, filling the silence that usually followed one of Helena's rants. "Who wants to read, next?"

"I will," Solange said cheerfully. He passed her the book.

"**Chapter One," **she began, smiling.

**Sorry it went on for ages, but I had to write out the book. I know I haven't updated in ages, but I was focusing on A Different Brand, one of my other Drake stories. Thanks so much for reviewing : ) **

**R&R!**

**Love ya, Ellie X**

**Favourite line?**


	4. Chapters 1&2

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Drake Chronicles; however, I do own a**__**hamster. His name is Hammond II, after Richard Hammond off of Top Gear. I also own England. I bought it off a hobo on Wednesday.**

Third Person

_**Solange**_

"_**I can't believe you were actually going to just leave her there." I grumbled again as Logan pulled into our lane, which was overgrown with hedges. The unnatural lint of unnatural eyes had faded, and there was nothing left but ripe blackberries and crickets in the bushes. Not only was our farm well protected, but it was also surrounded by other family farms, with forest surrounding all of them. Drakes have lived in this area since it was considered wild and dangerous, best left to gunslingers and outlaws. Now it was just home.**_

_**But dangerous all the same.**_

"_**She was fine," Nicholas said testily. "She was safe as soon as we got you away from her." He only ever called her "she", except to her face, when he called her Lucky because it annoyed her so much.**_

"I hate you," Lucy said. She was sitting on the couch opposite him, glaring at him as strong as she should. It looked like her eyes were about to pop out. Nicholas put his hands up in surrender.

"Do I look like I care?" he said quizzically.

Lucy tried to get up to punch him, most likely, but Logan restrained her. He looked at Solange to continue reading.

_**They'd been on each other's**_ _**nerves since we were kids. There was a family joke that Lucy's first words were "Nicholas is bugging me." I couldnemember ever **_**not**_**knowing her. She'd drawn me out of my shell, even when we were little, though it wasn't until my fifth birthday, when Lucy threw a mud ball at Nicholas' head because he stole my chocolate cupcake. We'd learned to ride biked together and liked the same movies and talked all night whenever we had slumber parties.**_

"_**She was fine," Nicholas insisted, catching my glare. "Despite being reckless."**_

"_**She was trying to help me."**_

"_**She's human," he said, as if it were a debilitating disease-**_

"NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER DRAKE," Lucy yelled. "You were human six frigging months ago, so don't you dare tell me that humans are sickly. You're _sister_ is human."

Her heartbeat was increasing with the anger, and because Nicholas only went through the bloodchange a half year ago, he was still extremely uncontrolled. His eyes darkened and Quinn put his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Nick, stop," Quinn said. Quinn knew what Nicholas felt like, as he had only changed 2 years ago. Nicholas relaxed back into the sofa, eyes still wild. "Sol, go."

Solange reluctantly began again,

_**-as if he wasn't human as well, despite the bloodchange. We aren't undead, like the horror novels say, though we definitely look it during our transformation. That particular stereotype clings so deeply that sometimes it's easier to embrace it. Lucy's mom calls us "differently abled".**_

_**"And you're a jerk." I touched his sleeve. "But thanks for coming to get me."**_

_**"You're welcome," he muttered. "You know you shouldn't let her talk you into stuff. It never turns out well."**_

_**"I know. But you know how Lucy is. And she meant well."**_

_**He grunted. Logan grinned.**_

_**"She's getting cuter. Especially from behind."**_

_**"She is **__**not," **__**Nicholas said. "And quit looking at her butt."**_

_**I was so totally going to tell Lucy they'd been talking about her butt.**_

Lucy grinned at Logan. "You're so sweet."

She kissed him on the cheek, while Logan just grinned. Nicholas rolled his eyes, and Logan winked at Lucy.

"When will you stop?" Nicholas asked his charming brother.

"Jealous, much?" Lucy and Logan said at the same time. Lucy giggled, while Logan put his arm around her shoulders. Nicholas glared, trying to not let his jealousy show.

"Don't worry, Nick, you can have her, she's just my beautiful little sister."

Lucy elbowed Logan but smiled. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'd rather eat my own foot."

"That'd be amusing to watch," Connor added in. Nicholas just kicked him and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Anyway," Solange said.

"_**You're such an old man," Logan said scornfully, turning off the ignition. "We have all this power. We should use it.**_

Helena glared.

_**"Flirting is not a power," I told him drily.**_

_**"It is if you're good at it. And I'm **__**very **__**good at it."**_

_**"So you keep telling us."**_

_**"Being charming's my gift," he said modestly. No one else could have pulled off such an old-fashioned shirt with lace cuffs and such a pretty face. The pheromones that vampires emit like a dangerous perfume keep humans enticed and befuddled with longing, and Logan's are especially well tuned. They don't have an**_

_**actual smell that can be described, except lately in my case, It's more subliminal than that, with the power to hypnotize. Kind of like the way wild animals can smell each other out in the forest, especially during mating season. If a vampire is particularly strong, humans don't even remember being a meal; they just have a craving for rare steak or spinach. If we drink too much, they become anemic. **_

Geoffrey and Liam looked incredibly impressed that Solange remembered this much.

_**The pheromones don't work on other vampires, except, of course, for mine, which are rapidly becoming a beacon for all of vampire kind. I'm special, and not in a good way, if you ask me.**_

_**Vampires are rarely born, except in certain ancient families . . .**_

_**Exhibit A, me and my seven obnoxious older brothers.**_

_**But I'm the only girl.**_

_**In about nine hundred years.**_

_**And the closer I get to **__**my **__**sixteenth birthday, the- more I attract the others to me. It's all very Snow White, except I don't call bluebirds and deer out of the woods - only bloodthirsty vampires who want to kidnap me or kill me. Vampire politics are messy at best, and all Drakes have been exiled from me royal court since the very hour I was born. I'm considered a threat to the current**_

_**ruler, Lady Natasha, because my genealogy is so impressive and because there's some stupid prophecy from centuries ago that says the vampire tribes will be properly united under the rule of**_

_**a daughter born to an ancient family.**_

_**And Lady Narasha, unlike me, wasn't born into an ancient family-even if she considers herself to be the reigning vampire queen.**_

_**As if that's my fault.**_

_**Luckily, my family much prefers living in quiet exile in the woods. I'd heard enough rumours about our ruler to be glad we'd never actually met. She feeds off humans and **__**is **__**barely circumspect about it; in fact, she loves the attention and the vampire groupies. She apparently doesn't like pretty young girls; they never seem to survive her mood swings.**_

_**Technically, she shouldn't be feeding off humans, and certainly not so nonchalantly. It was becoming an issue, even among her own people. There are royalists who follow her just because she's so powerful, not because they particularly respect her. Fear, as always, is a great motivator.**_

_**And lately she's been turning more and more humans into vampires, in order to gather more followers. The council makes her nervous, and I make her nervous, but most of all Leander Montmartre makes her nervous. **_

_**He has that affect on all of us.**_

_**He's been turning humans for nearly three hundred years now, and he's so violent and careless about it, he's basically created a new breed of vampire.**_

"Can we skip this and just read the chapter where Lucy and Nicky kissssss?" Quinn whined.

"That sounds really worrying, Quinn . . ." Lucy said, laughing.

"_Quinn is generally worrying," Logan said, nodding._

_Solange was skimming through the book's pages.  
"Ooh, ooh, ooh, found it!" she grinned chaotically._

"_Read on," Connor said, smirking along with five of his brothers, Nicholas glaring._

_**The lamps were lit-soft yellow light gleamed through the windows.**_

_**The light was always soft in the Drake house. I went around to the side, hoping Solange's bedroom window was open. I could have knocked. I usually did. It wasn't as **__**if **__**anyone would be asleep, and they could usually smell my presence anyway. But I didn't know if I was **__**in **__**trouble. I'd apologize If I was, but I hated going in unprepared. Regular parents were bad enough, but vampire parents were in a class all their own. Solange's window was closed, so texted her. Nothing.**_

_**"Lucky."**_

_**I yelped like a scalded cat, whirling so fast I made myself dizzy. My phone landed in the bushes. Nicholas smirked at me, easing languidly out of the shadows. His pale eyes gleamed. I gasped for breath, thumping my chest. That was the second time in one night I'd practically choked on my own heart. Nicholas licked his lips. I remembered Solange's warning and tried to calm my pulse.**_

"_**What the hell, Nicky!" I muttered. **_

_**He hated being called that as much as I hated being called Lucky. He stepped closer, totally invading my personal space.**_

"_Oooooooh, dramatic," Solange said._

"Flirting, Nicky? Aw'h, he's growing up," Quinn cooed.

_**I hated that he was so handsome, with his tousled dark hair and his serious expression, like some ancient scholar. There was something else in his expression suddenly, something slightly wicked. I took a step back, wondering why my stomach felt funny. He advanced and I backed away some more, suspicious, until I bumped into the log wall of the house.**_

"Nicky, Nicky, Nicky . . ." Logan tutted.

_**I remembered, too late, Solange's simplest warning about vampires: if you ran, they chased. It was just in their nature.**_

_**I stopped abruptly and lifted my chin, trying to pretend my shoulder blades weren't pressing into the log wall and I had nowhere to go.**_

_**"What?"**_

_**He was close enough that his legs practically brushed mine.**_

_**He was close enough, in point of fact, to kiss.**_

"Lucy," Solange gasped. Lucy was blushing a deep shade of red. Logan and Quinn were smirking, but the others were grinning. Nicholas looked shocked, but his eyes were bright. They lit up like he'd just been given millions of thousands of dollars. The light soon died down as he attempted to conceal the happiness, but Solange caught it. She smirked at him, wordlessly, and gave the _we'll-talk-later _sibling look.

_**I was instantly horrified the thought had even crossed my mind. I tried to comfort myself with the idea that it was probably just those legendary pheromones. I was used to them, but I wasn't completely immune. And the fact was, he was looking at me the way I looked at chocolate fudge.**_

"And, how exactly do you look at chocolate fudge, Lucy?" Duncan said, eyeing Lucy and Nicholas.

_**I bit my lower lip. He blinked, and then his face went impassive again, nearly cold; but I noticed the bare of heat in his eerie eyes.**_

_**"That was a stupid thing you did," he said.**_

_**And there was the Nicholas I knew. Of course he hadn't been flirting with me. What had I been thinking?**_

The Drake family grinned.

_**"It was just a party."**_

_**"It was reckless." He jerked a hand through his hair, messing it further. 'We're trying to protect her. You're not making it any easier."**_

_**"You're smothering her." I scowled. "And I was protecting her, too."**_

_**"By putting her in needless danger just to flirt with some drunk kid? This isn't a game."**_

_**"I know that," I snapped. "But you don't know her like I do. And she's been so stressed out by you and your overbearing baboon brothers; I just wanted to cheer her up."**_

_**He paused, **__**and **__**when he spoke again it was quietly. "She **__**can't protect herself if she's worried about protecting you."**_

_**Ouch. Direct hit. The indignation whooshed out of me, leaving me feeling deflated and foolish.**_

_**"Oh," I really hated it when he was right. "All right. Fine."**_

_**I was spared his self-satisfied reply when his cell phone rang discreetly from inside the pocket of his black cargo pants. He barely glanced at me.**_

_**"Go home. Now."**_

_**He walked away, leaving me staring at his back. I retrieved my phone to **__**text Solange. **__**I do not like your brother.**_

_**I stomped all the way back to the car. The dogs had abandoned me to follow Nicholas growling low in their throats. I kind of hoped they'd bite him,**_

_**Right on the ass.**_

_**Just as I was reaching for the car door handle, a hand damped over my shoulder and spun me around. Before I could make a single sound, Nicholas's mouth covered mine completely. He yanked me closer. His eyes were the misty gray of rain. His lips moved, briefly. It wasn't even a whisper but even that sound was hidden under the almost-but-not-quite kiss. **_

Solange squealed and Lucy kicked out at her, blushing. The brunette's felt like her heart was trying to escape through her mouth.

"Shut up," she said, hiding behind a pillow Solange through at her. Quinn was making a heart with his hands and putting Lucy in it. Nicholas punched him.

"Piss off, Quinn . . ."

"Don't shout at him," Lucy scolded Nicholas.

"Aw'h, you already argue like a married couple, you're going to be together forever!"

"Shush, Solange," Lucy said.

_**"We're not alone." **_

_**I stiffened.**_

"You aren't the only one," Quinn said, winking.

"QUINN!" Lucy yelled, her face looking like the red wallpaper in Lucy's room. "Ohmygod." She threw her pillow at Quinn's head, while Nicholas just looked confused. Quinn saw his brother's face and burst out laughing. Something in Nicholas clicked and his eyes widened.

_**"**_**Shhh," He bent his head. **

**Anyone watching would have assumed he was kissing me and enjoying it. I admit, I was enjoying it too. A shadow moved near the hedges, too quickly to be natural. The crickets went silent. Knowing the sharpness of vampire hearing, I darted a glance pointedly over Nicholas's left shoulder. He didn't speak, didn't even nod, but I knew he understood. He kept kissing me, his tongue darting our to touch mine. It was totally distracting. He was edging me away from the car, guiding me**

_**backward, toward the house.**_

_**"Don't run." He nipped my lower lip.**_

"So, your excuse is that you were saving her? I don't see it necessary that you go all for it with the tongues and nipping . . ." Logan said, smirking.

_**"I know." Afraid I was the only one experiencing all these interesting feelings, I nipped hack. His hands tightened. His mouth was on my ear when we reached the porch. By the lower**_

_**step his palms moved over my waist, my hips. His lips were clever, wicked. **_

_**Perfect.**_

_**At the front door he stopped and shoved he abruptly into the foyer. I stumbled, knocking over a vase of roses. **_

"Romantic."

_**Glass shards, red petals, and water scattered over the stone floor. My lips felt swollen, tingly. **__**Focus, Lucy. **__**The hallway was already full of grim-mouthed Drake boys before I'd even caught my breath. Solange's mom pushed past me, leading them out. Nicholas was a blur between the oak trees. There were the unmistakable sounds of fighting: grunts, hissing, bones snapping.**_

_**"Are you okay?" Solange practically leaped on me.**_

_**"I'm fine."**_

_**She was heading out after her brothers when her father's voice cut through the foyer.**_

"_**Solange."**_

_**She stopped, looked over her shoulder. "They might need help."**_

"_**No."**_

_**"Dad."**_

_**"No. They're here for you. If you go out there, it will only make things worse."**_

_**I knew that look on her face. She was biting her tongue. I knew how much she hated this. Helena was the warrior in the family, had been even when she was winning martial arts competitions as a human, and she'd trained her children well. Even I'd gotten the benefit of a few tricks, but none of it would do us any good tonight, Still, I was really glad I knew how to break someone's kneecap and three ways to incapacitate using only my thumb. And to think I used to worry about midterms.**_

***~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* this is a page break. I don't like Jam. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

LUCY (POV)

_**The foyer was warm and civilized, lit by warmly glowing Tiffany lamps. Liam stood between us and the battle raging in the bedraggled garden. He was nearly tall enough to obscure our vision, but we leaned sideways around him. Part of me didn't want to see what was happening; the rest of me absolutely couldn't handle not knowing. The shadows coalesced, and I watched fangs gleam and bodies jump higher than they should have been able to. The snarls lifted the hair on the back of my neck.**_

_**Nicholas was fast and clever bur I'd never seen him like this before. His face was hard as he leaped and dodged, sent his boor into. the midsection of a vampire net much elder than us, with long blend hair. They both rumbled, but only Nicholas landed on his feet. I felt inordinately proud about that.**_

_**All Solange's brothers held their own, but only Quinn appeared to be enjoying himself. **_

"You're so weird," I mused.

"Says the human girl who enjoys playing with crossbows, and had since she could talk."

"Touché."

"Oh, and who decided to kiss this thing. Twice," Logan said, pointing to Nicholas.

"Shut up . . ."

Can't believe that I would even _think _that it was _'nice'._

I looked around at everyone, and Helena looked oddly proud.

_**He grinned even as a fist, moving so fast it was a flesh-coloured blur, broke his nose. Blood trickled down to his lip and he licked it. Helena laughed behind rum, somersaulting out of the way of a stake and landing behind her attacker. He disintegrated in a cloud of dust at her feet.**_

_**"I want one alive and able to speak," Liam called out, He shook his head at **__**Solange**_

_**"Honestly, your mother's worse than the boys. Helena" -he raised his voice slightly-"leave me one, damn **__**it."**_

_**"Spoilsport," she muttered before reining herself in. Her flying kick only knocked the vampire into a tree instead of shattering his ribs. Hyacinth made a small sound behind us. The jet beads around her neck caught the light, glimmered.**_

_**"That's hardly ladylike," she said disapprovingly. Which was amusing since rd heard the stories of what she did in her spare time-and it wasn't taking tea and eating cucumber sandwiches.**_

I smiled, and Solange was chuckling while reading, everyone knew it was true.

_**A vampire fled, disappearing into the woods. One of them shuddered, turned to ash, and drifted **__**into **__**the hedges. The stake tumbled to the ground. Solange's second-oldest brother, Sebastian, wiped his hands off dispassionately and then turned to help his mother drag the half-conscious vampire she'd thrown into the tree toward the house. Connor was speaking quietly into his cell phone to Bruno.**_

_**I pressed my back against the wall as a parade of teeth and feral smiles passed me. When they were all gathered in the parlor; I followed. I went to my favorite purple velvet armchair by the fireplace. **_

_**Solange**____**stood next to me, her eyes never leaving that of the young man currently being tied up. His shirt was torn, his dark reddish brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. His eyelids fluttered but didn't open. I wouldn't have opened them either if all seven Drake brothers were standing around me, glaring. Never mind Helena, who waved them aside with barely a flick of her wrist. She sniffed once, delicately.**_

_**"He smells like kith." She whispered but shook her head.**_

_**"Kind of."**_

_**Liam frowned, sniffed as well.**_

_**"Something's not right." His gaze narrowed, sharpened.**_

_**"Left arm."**_

_**We all looked even though I didn't know what I was looking at. The tip of a tattoo poked out from under his pushed-up sleeve.**_

_**It looked like a stylized tribal-style sun but I couldn't be sure.**_

_**"Damn," Nicholas muttered. "Helios-Ra,"**_

_**Everyone looked totally bummed out over such a comic-book name. He stirred. There was a gentle waft of lilies and chocolate, almost right, but not quite. Everyone else was still scenting the air like hunting hounds, nostrils flared.**_

_**"What?" I whispered to Solange. "What's with all the sniffing?**_

_**It's creeping me out."**_

_**She didn't have time to answer because he opened his eyes, suddenly, as if he'd been poked with something sharp. His eyes weren't pale, not like every other vampire's I'd ever seen.**_

_**They were very black and very hostile.**_

He wasn't a vampire. Oh. God.

"Well, that's the end of the chapter," Solange murmured.

"Who wants to read next?" I said.

"I will," Nicholas said.

I rolled my eyes.

"Luce, can I talk to you?" Solange asked me. I nodded and got up, following her out into the hallway. We went upstairs to her room and she sat down on her bed, looking intensely serious.

"What's wrong?" I asked, confused.

She let a smile leak out.

"I have a question for you." I waited for her to continue. "Do you like my brother?"

I laughed, "Really? How can you even ask that?"

"I think you do."

"I think I don't."

"Well he likes you, then."

"P-lease. As _if._ Nicholas hates me!"

"Nicholas likes Lucyyyy! Nicholas likes Lucy!" she yelled in a sing-song voice.

"Shut _up,_ Sol!" I whisper-yelled, putting my hand over her mouth. "Nicholas does_not _like Lucy, and Lucy _definitely _does _NOT_ like Nicholas."

I have _got_ to stop taking in third person. Oh, well.

We made our way back downstairs, me blushing; I knew full well that the Drakes had heard every word we said. I took my place next to Logan and Solange passed the book to Nicholas.

The problem was: I think Lucy does like Nicholas.

**A/N: You do not know just how long it takes to write these! -,-**

**Well, I have finally put it up, but I have a question for my lovely readers: Do you think should do the whole book or a few parts? If you think a few parts, drop me a review or PM and tell me which you want in the story!**

**Oh, and I want to see just how many people read my author's notes, so in your review, start it with PONY and I just might send you a pony;)**

**Thank you SO much to **_**PoshBosch **_**for PMing me this lovely message which pushed me to stop focusing on attempting to buy America off a different hobo and start updating more!**

**Love you all,**

**Ellie Partridge'xoxo**

**Yes, 'Partridge' is my last name . . . **

**Shut up.**


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